Japanese symbol for “wedge”
矢
や
Romaji: ya
arrow
In Japanese, wedge is 矢, read や (ya).
Before using these characters for a tattoo, check them with a native speaker. Dictionary words often have several meanings, and the right choice depends on context.
Meanings
- n arrow
- n wedge; chock
Written forms: 矢、箭. Readings: や、さ.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “wedge”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 楔 | くさび kusabi | wedge; chock; linchpin |
| ウェッジ | ウェッジ wejji | wedge |
| 割り込み | わりこみ warikomi | wedge |
| 割り込む | わりこむ warikomu | to wedge; to play a wedge |
| 楔子 | けっし kesshi | wedge; lynchpin; cotter |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 矢印 | やじるし yajirushi | arrow (symbol) |
| 矢先 | やさき yasaki | arrowhead |
| 弓矢 | ゆみや yumiya | bow and arrow |
| 一矢 | いっし isshi | one arrow |
| 矢面 | やおもて yaomote | firing line; position where one is subject to questioning, criticism, etc. |
| 矢継ぎ早 | やつぎばや yatsugibaya | rapid succession (e.g. questions) |
See also: Chinese symbol for “wedge”.
Data: JMdict (CC BY-SA 4.0); KANJIDIC2 (CC BY-SA 4.0); KanjiVG (CC BY-SA 3.0); wordfreq (CC BY-SA 4.0 (data)). Retrieved 2026-10-22.